MORE JOBS IN NL
Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, Yale New Haven Health and New London Mayor Michael Passero announced Wednesday Yale New Haven’s intent to locate 119 jobs in the city of New London, including the creation of 40 new positions, mostly in the financial services department. The affiliation between Yale New Haven and Lawrence and Memorial was formally approved in September 2016. Since that time the health system has been working with local community organizations to further define ways to provide enhanced access to critical health care services in the region.
MALLOY PREPARING FOR NO BUDGET
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – While Connecticut legislators still hope to reach a budget agreement before the fiscal year ends next week, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is moving ahead with preparations to run state government without a final plan in place. The Democrat released a letter Wednesday to state lawmakers outlining “principles” behind how he’ll maintain essential state services and obligations using his executive authority. In the letter, he warns of “deep and difficult cuts to valued programs,” noting the amount of available revenue “falls well short of current expenditures.” The current fiscal year ends June 30. Lawmakers and Malloy met privately Wednesday for about an hour on how to cover a projected $5 billion deficit in the new two-year budget. Legislative leaders said the meeting was positive and they’ll meet again next week.
MGM DISMISSAL UPHELD
The dismissal of a lawsuit filed by MGM Resorts International has been upheld by a federal appeals court. MGM had claimed that a 2015 law that enabled the Mohegans and Mashantucket-Pequots to seek a third Connecticut casino put MGM at an unfair competitive disadvantage. A spokesman for MGM says they still plan to fight new legislation passed by the Connecticut General Assembly that would allow the tribes to jointly build and operate a planned East Windsor casino, aimed at blunting the effects of an MGM casino being built in Springfield, Massachusetts.
VACANT PACKAGING PLANT SOLD
The former Atlantic Packaging Corporation building complex on North Main Street in Norwich has been sold at auction. The winning bidder has declined to release his or her identity until the sale has been finalized. Spokesman for the auction company says there were four bidders on-site, as well as an unspecified number of on-line bidders. No press was allowed to attend the Wednesday auction. It’s the second time the property went on the auction block, after Atlantic Packaging closed its doors last Fall after 100 years in business. A November 16th auction of the Greeneville property attracted no buyers.
TRINITY CAMPUS CLOSED
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – A private college in Connecticut has closed its campus due to threats made against it after a professor’s social media posts that he says were twisted to sound as though they referred to last week’s congressional shooting in Virginia. Trinity College says it received threats related to social media posts by Johnny Eric Williams. The campus of the liberal arts school in Hartford closed Wednesday until further notice. Trinity President Joanne Berger-Sweeney says the professor posted a piece that concluded with a call to show indifference to the lives of bigots. She says his post was reprehensible and a dean is looking into whether college policies were broken. Williams tells the Hartford Courant his words were twisted by some people to sound as though he was saying the victims of the Alexandria, Virginia, shooting should’ve been left to die.
NORWICH WELCOME SIGNS
Two new signs welcoming people to Norwich in seven different languages are now up. They’re the brainchild of local businessman Swaranjit Singh Khalsa a member of the local Sikh community. The signs show the word ‘Welcome” in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Italian, German and the Sikh language Punjabi. One sign is on Route 82 near Interstate 395, the other off Route 2 near Backus Hospital. Khalsa says the signs not only celebrate the city’s diversity, but also should help attract more business to Norwich.
UNITED WAY DISTRIBUTIONS
More than 2-point-2 million dollars is being distributed in the upcoming fiscal year to 21 nonprofit organizations by the United Way of Southeastern Connecticut. Among the groups receiving funding: ARC of New London County, Catholic Charities, Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, United Community and Family Services, and Safe Futures. United Way officials announced the funding decisions Wednesday.
